Cutoff machine for continuously fed material



6 Sheets-Sheet 1 i220 ere/i301 T/Z/OFJZ/Z'Sy H. S. THQRNLEY CUTOFF MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL April 6, 1954 Filed March 31, 1952 April 6, 1954 H. s. THORNLEY CUTOFF MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL Filed March 31, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. S. THORNLEY CUTOFF MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 6, 1954 Filed March :51, 1952 p w e m 6 E 6. g E 6/120 I wnl W April 6, 1954 H. s. THORNLEY CUTOFF MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL Filed March 51, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I121) eKZ/"Ol fi .T zollzz/ley April 6, 1954 H. s. THORNLEY 2,674,310

CUTOF'F' MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL Filed March 51, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 5 lzz/u (222601 fiS.TZZ/O Z ZZ Lay MW m6 p 6, 1954 H. s. THORNLEY 2,674,310

CUTOFF MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL Filed March 31, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUTOFF MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FED MATERIAL Application March 31, 1952, Serial No. 279,599

Claims priority, application Great Britain April 16, 1951 7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cutting or severing machines and is concerned particularly with machines which cut or sever lengths of material being continuously extruded or delivered into the cutting or severing means.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine which is automatic in its action and has a high output of severed lengths of material, which may be for example, extruded rubber compounded tubing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

Referrin to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view and Figure 2 an end View looking from right to left of Figure 1 showing a severing machine constructed in one convenient form in accordance with this invention.

Figure 3 is a side view drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2 showing the fixed and movable frames and associated parts.

Figure 4 is a view looking from right to left of Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are an end view and a side view respectively of the arrangement for lubricating the cutter disc. These views are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 7 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 showing the cam adjusting means.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an arrangement of air jets for delivering the severed lengths of material from the conveyor belt.

Figure 9 is a detail View of the tube or pipe through which the material to be severed is delivered through the machine and in which the part is located which is undergoing the actual severing operation.

Figure 10 is a detail view showing the clutch by which the plate carrying the cutter disc is revolved.

A revolving disc type cutter a is mounted upon a shaft 1) journalled in a plate 0 held in a frame (1 by check plates e, one at each side of the frame d, the plate c riding upon rollers f journalled in the frame d. The cutter is driven by a belt or chain g from a shaft h journalled at its ends in bearings carried by brackets from the cheek plates e. The shaft his driven by belts 7 from a reversible motor Ic carried by a plate m pivoted to a bracket q secured to the frame (1. The angle of the plate m is adjustable to tension the belt The shaft h can be clutched by a clutch member r (driven by the shaft h) to an internally coned part secured to a cheek plate e co-axially therewith so that when the clutch is in service, the cheek plates e and the plate 0 between them are turned in the frame d and carry the shaft 1) with the disc cutter a thereon through an arc of a circle (e. g. so that the cutter passes over the discharge opening t through which the article to be severed is delivered, so that such article which may be a tube or red is severed.

The frame It is carried by rollers u on fixed frame members 12, side pieces u keeping the frame cl on the members 12 and it is drawn towards a fixed structure w by several springs r. Upon a structure to fixed to the frame members v are pivotally mounted four cam plates, two alternate cam plates 11 having their operative faces inclining in one circular direction and the other two alternate cam plates ,2 having their operative faces inclining in the other direction. There are four rollers 2 carried in pivoted flaps 38 upon the oscillatory plate 0 with its cheek plates 6 and these cooperate with the cam plates :1], 2 so that according to the direction of movement of the plate c, one or other of the pairs of cam plates y or e is brought into engagement with the rollers 2 to cause a forward movement of the frame 01 during the cutting operation along its support at a rate corresponding to the rate at which the article to be cut is fed through the machine. The cut is therefore performed when there is no relative movement of the article and cutter in the axial direction of the cutter.

The cam plates y, z are adjustable about their pivots by rods 3| (see Figure '7) radiating from two circumferentially adjustable collars 32 carried on the structure 1.0, so that by turning one rod 3 l, the cams are simultaneously adjusted in angle and by turning the other rod 3|, the other pair of cams is simultaneously adjusted.

The fiaps 3t! carrying the rollers 2 have torsion springs around their pivot pins and they can turn in one direction about their pivots against the pressure of the springs but they cannot turn in the other direction. Thus as seen in Figure 3, if a roller 2 rides up the cam surface 3/, it transmits motion according to the angle of the cam to the movable frame 01 until the cam drops over the steep end of the cam, when the springs r pull the movable frame d back to its initial position nearer to the structure w. There are of course two rollers engaging two came at one time. When the rollers 2 have dropped over the edge of their cams y, the turning of the plate 0 stops. When it restarts. in the reverse direction, the other pair of rollers ride up the cams 2 but the rollers which were on the cams y move with their flaps 30 about their pivots and come again on to the cam surfaces y ready to move the frame d upon the next reverse movement of the plate 0.

The clutch 1 may be operated by a solenoid or by compressed air, the appropriate unit being shown at 3 in Figure 10.

If reference be made to Figure 4, it will be seen that an arm I is attached to the unit comprising the oscillatory plate c and the cheek plates 6 so that this arm oscillates with the said unit and at the limits of its movements engages a member 8 which it moves and so causes the operation of a stopping and reverse setting switch indicated diagrammatically at 9 through a pin 4 and cam piece 5. This controls the release of the clutch member 1 and the direction of rotation of the motor 70.

Assuming that the motor k is driving the cutter a, and that the clutch member 1' is in service to cause the plate and connected parts to oscillate and carry the cutter disc at across the hole t through which the article to be cut is being delivered and also that one pair of cam plates 11 or z is engaged by a pair of the rollers 2 to force the frame at forward at the same speed as the article, which is being cut, is delivered through the hole t, then when the cut is completed the arm 1 (Figure 4) will operate the stopping and reversing switch 9, with the result that the motor 70 will be stopped and its windings reversed. When the motor k is restarted as hereinafter referred to, the cam plates y or 2 which were in action will cease to be in action and the springs x will have drawn the frame d back to its initial position. The cam plates 3/ or a which were not in action will now be in action and will be engaged by their rollers 2 so that the frame 12 will be moved forward again during the next severing action.

In order to cause the severing action to occur only when a predetermined length of material has been delivered beyond the hole t in the frame 11, I may provide that the material delivered through the hole t passes on to a conveyor ID by which it is carried into the path of a beam of light of a photo electric device indicated at 33 in Figures 1 and 2, so that when a predetermined length of material extends beyond the opening it and in- I terrupts the light beam, there results an energizing or putting into service of the solenoid 3 or equivalent device which operates the clutch member 1' and thus the clutch causes the plate 0 and connected parts to be turned to sever the material. to an end when the severance is complete. The severed length may as shown in Figure 8, be then blown sideways off the conveyor belt It] by the air jets II, which receive their air supply m0- mentarily when a severing operation is completed or the severed ends may be removed by hand. A further length of material is now delivered on to the conveyor belt l8 until the beam of light of the photo electric device is again interrupted when the clutch r is re-engaged and the cycle of operations repeated.

I provide means comprising a brush l2 for applying lubricant to the cutter disc a in one direction of its rotation. Such means which are shown in Figures and 6 comprise the brush [2, the holder of which is attached to a spindle l4 journalled in brackets I 5 secured upon the frame d. A lever l6 secured to the spindle l4 between the brackets I5 is loaded at one end by a spring The limit switch 9 brings the oscillation l1 and at its other end carries a roller l8. The latter is adapted to be engaged by a cam 19 pivotally attached at one end 20 to the outer cheek plate e of the unit consisting of two cheek plates and an intermediate plate 0. The other end of the cam I9 is guided in its pivotal movements by the strap 2|. When the cheek plate 6 is moving in an anti-clockwise direction in Figure 5, the roller I8 rides up the cam 19 and the brush I2 is pressed upon the cutter disc a so as to lubricate it. At the end of such anti-clockwise movement, the roller [8 rides off the cam l9 and into the recess 22 to one side of the cam plate. When the cheek plate moves in a clockwise direction, the roller l8 pushes the cam plate [9 about its pivot 20 and the brush I2 is maintained clear of the cutter disc a by the spring IT. This ensures that the brush only lubricates such disc when it is turning in an anti-clockwise direction. It will be appreciated that if the brush l2 engaged the disc a when it is turning in a clockwise direction, the bristles would be broken off or worn down by the wedge action produced. There may be an oil bath at 24 to supply the bristles of the brush I2. A spring (not shown) holds the cam member IS in the position shown in Figure 5.

The material to be severed which may come from an extrusion machine is delivered through a pipe or tube 25 which has a slit therein at 26 (Figure 9) into which the cutter disc a enters during a severing operation. This arrangement supports the material at both sides of the cutting point during such operation. The interior of the tube 25 may be lubricated by lubricant delivered through the tube 35.

The belt [0 may be of relatively thin material so that the weight of the material thereon will cause it to deform transversely sufficiently to prevent the latter material from rolling off the belt.

Iclaim:

1. A machine for cutting or severing lengths of material being delivered continuously through the machine, comprising a revolving cutter disc, a plate in which the cutter disc is journalled excentric to the axis of the plate, means for turning the plate back and forth about said axis, means delivering the material across the path of movement of the cutter disc, means movable in the direction of the axis of the plate for supporting the plate, fixed cam means, rollers on the plate riding on the cam means, the movement of the plate in one direction causing rollers to rise up one set of cams and then to ride off said cams, and the movement in the other direction causing rollers to ride up the other set of cams and then to ride off said cams, whereby the plate is moved in the direction of its axis at a speed similar to that of the material which is being severed, each time the plate is turned to bring the cutter disc into position to perform the severing operation.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the plate carrying the cutter disc is mounted in a frame movable along a track, and a fixed frame carries the cam means and is connected to the movable frame by springs which cause the rollers on the plate to ride on the cam means, so that the movable frame is moved away from the fixed frame in both directions of movement of the plate with an intermediate return to its initial position under spring pressure.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, having means which turn a lubricating or oiling brush into contact with the cutter disc during movement of the plate in one direction.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for controlling the back and forth movements of the plate compris a photo electric device, the beam of light of which is interrupted and a back or a forth movement initiated when a predetermined length of material has been delivered past the path of the cutter disc, and switch means to limit the length of said back and forth movements.

5. A machine for cutting or severing lengths of material being delivered continuously through the machine comprising a fixed frame, two sets of adjustable cam means carried upon said frame, a frame movable upon a track away from and towards the fixed frame, springs drawing the movable frame towards the fixed frame, a plate journalled in the movable frame and movable in a plane parallel to the fixed frame, a cutter disc, a shaft carrying said disc journalled in said plate excentrically to but parallel with the plate axis, rollers carried by said plate adapted to engage said cams, a reversible electric motor mounted on said movable frame driving said plate and said cutter disc, a clutch controlling the drive to the plate, means delivering the material to be severed through the movable frame in the path traversed by the cutter disc during the oscillatory movements of the plate, means putting said clutch into action, and switch means putting said clutch out of action and setting the motor for reverse motion after a predetermined length of back or forth movement of the plate.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 in which the rollers on the plate are each carried by a spring loaded pivoted flap capable of turning about its pivot in one direction only so that it is rigid when ridim up a cam face and turns about its pivot when it has passed over the cam face so that it can move back to its initial position without imparting any movement to the movable frame, one set of rollers being operative to move the movable frame in one direction of movement of the plate and the other set of rollers being operative to move the movable frame in the other direction of movement of the plate.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 5, in which the material to be severed after passing through the movable frame is fed on to a travelling conveyor and brought into the path of the light beam of a photo electric device, the interruption of such beam resulting in. the clutch driving the plate being engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,148,250 Muhlbauer July 27, 1915 1,677,915 Crane July 24, 1928 1,946,926 Barton Feb. 13, 1934 2,086,374 Wickle et a1 July 6, 1937 2,528,779 Pinney Nov. 7, 1950 2,582,332 Homer Jan, 15, 952 

